4229. Robert Southey to Caroline Bowles, 12–21 August 1824

 

Address: [in another hand] London Twenty fifth Augt 1824/ Miss Bowles/ Buckland/ Lymington/ Hants/ Fm/ JRickman 
Postmark: FREE/ 25 AU 25/ 1824
Endorsement: No 60 To Miss Caroline Bowles
MS: British Library, Add MS 47889. ALS; 4p. 
Previously published: Edward Dowden (ed.), The Correspondence of Robert Southey with Caroline Bowles (Dublin and London, 1881), pp. 66–67 [in part].

Keswick. 12 Aug. 1824.

Dear friend what is become of you? Day after day I have lived in hope of hearing that you xx were laying in a new stock of health. There is a physical regeneration which sometimes takes place, – I have known two instances of it where the liver was the seat of the disease,

(1)

One was Grosvenor Charles Bedford; see Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 8 July 1810, The Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part Four, Letter 1791. The other was Mrs Danvers; see Southey to Caroline Bowles, 30 August 1825, Edward Dowden (ed.), The Correspondence of Robert Southey with Caroline Bowles (Dublin and London, 1881), pp. 85–87.

– & my hope – my earnest hope is that you may be the third. You have a great deal to do, – & I have a great deal to do which will not be done without you.

(2)

Southey and Bowles were beginning work on ‘Robin Hood’. The resulting incomplete poem was published in Robin Hood: a Fragment. By the Late Robert Southey, and Caroline Southey. With Other Fragments and Poems By R.S. and C.S. (London, 1847), pp. [1]–36.

If I have done nothing of late, it is because I have not risen early enough to write before breakfast, since I commenced invalid.

(3)

Southey was suffering from his annual attack of hay fever.

The attack has been an ugly one, & continued long. I am now tolerably recovered tho there are yet some remains of the cough, – but I am regaining strength, & have taken my first long walk this day.

This day compleats my fiftieth year. Neither of my parents

(4)

Robert Southey, Senior, and his wife Margaret.

lived to compleat their fifty first.

Aug 21st

I laid this aside, thinking to inclose what you will find inclosed, & hoping to have added more. But interruptions have xxx intervened, & ailments also. One of the flaws in this clay tenement of mine, which every now & then is patched for a time, has just now widened since I began this letter, & requires I am afraid a more skilful hand to repair it than can be found here. Meantime I have just had an epistle from the poor Musician to whose collection you contributed at my request; – he says

“I feel infinitely obliged by your kindness in interesting Miss Bowles in favour of my projected publication; but I much regret to add that I am prevented using “The Mariner’s Hymn”,

(5)

Caroline Bowles had offered to contribute ‘The Mariner’s Hymn’, later published in Solitary Hours (London, 1826), pp. 22–24, to Alfred Pettet’s Original Sacred Music (London, n.d., but 1827). When it was rejected it was replaced by ‘I weep, but not rebellious tears’, later published in Robin Hood: a Fragment. By the Late Robert Southey, and Caroline Southey. With Other Fragments and Poems By R.S. and C.S. (London, 1847), pp. [227]–228.

owing to the difficulty of setting it in an effective manner. I have submitted it to the perusal of several of my musical friends, who all admire the exact & beautiful imagery of the poetry, but are diffident of their power to supply that peculiar & descriptive style of music which it would require. The difficulty would be less if the piece were shorter; but I feel that to curtail it would be to destroy its symmetry; it would therefore be bad taste to entertain a wish to that effect – I trust I shall not be considered troublesome in expressing a strong desire to be honoured with Miss Bowles’s assistance in giving additional value to my collection; & I make the request with less diffidence from the circumstance of my professional brethren Sir George Smart, Mr Attwood & Mr Bishop

(6)

Sir George Thomas Smart (1776–1867; DNB), a music teacher, conductor and organiser of music festivals; Thomas Attwood (1765–1838; DNB), a composer and organist; and Sir Henry Rowley Bishop (1786–1855; DNB), a composer.

being anxious to employ themselves in setting Original Hymns of the first class of merit.”

You have his words. – I do not like to send him my favourite poem

(7)

Bowles’s ‘It is not Death’, Solitary Hours (London, 1826), pp. 58–60.

– which you intended for him, – because it ought to appear first in a volume of your own, – & moreover it is I think hardly admissable into his plan which purposes only Psalms, Miscellaneous Hymns & Anthems. – Send me something if you can, – or tell me if you cannot, – & in either case I shall hear from you, – for I am seriously uneasy at your silence. My thoughts are often with you, & there is not a spot here where we have walked together, but what brings you to my mind.

A friend has just sent me from America the account of Philip’s War

(8)

Thomas Church (1674–1746), The Entertaining History of King Philip’s War, Which Began in the Month of June in 1675. As also of Expeditions More Lately Made Against the Common Enemy, and Indian Rebels, in the Eastern Part of New-England: with Some Account of the Divine Providence Towards Col. Benjamin Church (1772), no. 590 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.

written by the son of the man who commanded when Philip was killed.

(9)

Benjamin Church (c. 1639–1718), a military leader in the New England colonies; and Metacom (1638–1676), who used the name ‘King Philip’ in his dealings with the New England settlers. He was the leader of the Native American peoples in their conflict with the colonists in King Philip’s War 1675–1676.

It has been procured at last after a search of seven years, & it contains portraits of Philip & of Capt Benjamin Church – the hero of the history. Can any be more incongruous with dignified poetry than the name of such a <this latter> personage? – yes, – his portrait is even more so. But I wish I could shew you both, – for you have a liking for odd things & these I am sure would amuse you. – I am bound however to pursue this long delayed poem,

(10)

Southey’s unfinished ‘Oliver Newman’, set in New England. A fragment was published posthumously in Oliver Newman: a New-England Tale (Unfinished): with Other Poetical Remains by the Late Robert Southey (London, 1845), pp. 1–90.

in justice to my Trans-Atlantic acquaintance who are looking so eagerly for it, & have really been singularly obliging in providing me with every thing they could find relating to those times. And I have a strong reason for xxx wishing not to leave it like “the story of Cambuscan bold”

(11)

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400; DNB), The Canterbury Tales (c. 1387–1400), ‘The Squire’s Tale’, line 2. This tale is unfinished.

– which is that if it were compleated I could obtain a good sum for it

Dear Caroline God bless you -
R Southey.

Notes

1. One was Grosvenor Charles Bedford; see Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 8 July 1810, The Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part Four, Letter 1791. The other was Mrs Danvers; see Southey to Caroline Bowles, 30 August 1825, Edward Dowden (ed.), The Correspondence of Robert Southey with Caroline Bowles (Dublin and London, 1881), pp. 85–87.[back]
2. Southey and Bowles were beginning work on ‘Robin Hood’. The resulting incomplete poem was published in Robin Hood: a Fragment. By the Late Robert Southey, and Caroline Southey. With Other Fragments and Poems By R.S. and C.S. (London, 1847), pp. [1]–36.[back]
3. Southey was suffering from his annual attack of hay fever.[back]
5. Caroline Bowles had offered to contribute ‘The Mariner’s Hymn’, later published in Solitary Hours (London, 1826), pp. 22–24, to Alfred Pettet’s Original Sacred Music (London, n.d., but 1827). When it was rejected it was replaced by ‘I weep, but not rebellious tears’, later published in Robin Hood: a Fragment. By the Late Robert Southey, and Caroline Southey. With Other Fragments and Poems By R.S. and C.S. (London, 1847), pp. [227]–228.[back]
6. Sir George Thomas Smart (1776–1867; DNB), a music teacher, conductor and organiser of music festivals; Thomas Attwood (1765–1838; DNB), a composer and organist; and Sir Henry Rowley Bishop (1786–1855; DNB), a composer.[back]
7. Bowles’s ‘It is not Death’, Solitary Hours (London, 1826), pp. 58–60.[back]
8. Thomas Church (1674–1746), The Entertaining History of King Philip’s War, Which Began in the Month of June in 1675. As also of Expeditions More Lately Made Against the Common Enemy, and Indian Rebels, in the Eastern Part of New-England: with Some Account of the Divine Providence Towards Col. Benjamin Church (1772), no. 590 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.[back]
9. Benjamin Church (c. 1639–1718), a military leader in the New England colonies; and Metacom (1638–1676), who used the name ‘King Philip’ in his dealings with the New England settlers. He was the leader of the Native American peoples in their conflict with the colonists in King Philip’s War 1675–1676.[back]
10. Southey’s unfinished ‘Oliver Newman’, set in New England. A fragment was published posthumously in Oliver Newman: a New-England Tale (Unfinished): with Other Poetical Remains by the Late Robert Southey (London, 1845), pp. 1–90.[back]
11. Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343–1400; DNB), The Canterbury Tales (c. 1387–1400), ‘The Squire’s Tale’, line 2. This tale is unfinished.[back]
TEI Link
TEI
Volume Editor(s)
Lynda Pratt
Ian Packer